Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret facts for kids
The interior of the old operating theatre
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| Established | 27 October 1962 |
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| Location | 9a St Thomas Street London, SE1 United Kingdom |
| Type | Medical museum |
| Public transit access |   London Bridge |
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The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret is a unique museum in London, England. It's one of the oldest surviving operating theatres in the world! This special place is found in the attic, called a garret, of St. Thomas' Church, Southwark. It's right where the famous St Thomas' Hospital used to be.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Theatre
This museum is inside a church that was built a long time ago, in the late 1600s. Back then, the hospital and church were rebuilt by Sir Robert Clayton. He was a very important person, a former Lord Mayor of London.
The Herb Garret
The church attic, or garret, was built with lots of space. It had wooden shelves for storage. People called it "the herb garret" in 1821. It was probably used by the hospital's apothecary (a type of pharmacist). They would store and dry medicinal herbs there. These herbs were used to help sick people.
The Operating Theatre is Built
In 1822, part of the herb garret was changed into a special operating theatre. Before this, operations happened right in the hospital wards. Windows were added to the garret at the same time. This shows that the space changed from just storage to a busy working area. This theatre was next to the women's surgical ward. It might have been used as a place for patients to recover.
The Hospital Moves On
In 1859, the famous nurse Florence Nightingale became involved with St Thomas's Hospital. She helped set up her well-known nursing school there. Because of her advice, the hospital decided to move to a new location. This happened after a railway company offered to buy the hospital's land. In 1862, the hospital started moving to its current site in Lambeth. The old operating theatre was then closed. It stayed hidden and forgotten until 1957, almost 100 years later!
How the Theatre Was Used
The patients treated here were mostly poor people. They were expected to pay for their care only if they could afford it. Rich patients usually had operations at home. The patients in this specific operating theatre were all women.
What It Was Like Inside
A surgeon from St Thomas's, John Flint South, wrote about what it was like during an operation. Students would pack into the theatre to watch. He said the first two rows were for other medical assistants. Behind them, students were "packed like herrings in a barrel." They were not quiet, as those at the back kept pushing forward. They often struggled to get a better view. People would constantly shout "Heads, Heads!" to those blocking their view.
Patients put up with this crowded audience, even though it was stressful. They did it because they received medical treatment from some of the best surgeons. This was treatment they could not otherwise afford. Wealthy patients of these surgeons would choose to have their operations at home. They might even have them on their kitchen table!
The Museum Today
In 1962, after being unused for a century, the garret and operating theatre opened to the public. It became the museum we see today.
What You Can See
The museum shows you:
- The oldest surviving operating theatre in the UK. It dates from 1822. It was used before anaesthetics (painkillers) and antiseptic surgery (clean surgery) existed.
- The herb garret. This is where the hospital's apothecary stored and dried herbs for healing.
- A collection of old medical tools. These show how scary medicine was before modern science.
- Displays about health care in the medieval times.
- The history of St Thomas's, Guy's Hospital, and Evelina Children's Hospital.
- Information about Florence Nightingale and nursing.
- The history of medical and herbal medicine.
The museum is part of the London Museums of Health & Medicine. The building itself is very old and important. It is listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England.
You can easily get there by public transport. The nearby London Underground and National Rail station is London Bridge.
